Modular luminaire

ABSTRACT

A modular luminaire assembly consisting of a longitudinal beam member, preferably generally U-shaped, and a plurality of lamp housings of a predetermined modular length mounted on and projecting outwardly from at least one side of the beam member. Lamp mounting means is located in each of the lamp housings and the beam has a length which is substantially equal to a whole number multiple of the modular length of the luminaire. Preferably the U-shaped beam member is in the form of an extrusion having a plurality of longitudinally extending mounting slots formed therein to provide a means for supporting the lamp housing and a means for mounting the beam on a suitable support.

United States Patent [191 Hawley [54] MODULAR LUMINAIRE [75] Inventor:William L. Hawley, Rexdale, On-

tario, Canada [73] Assignee: Powerlite Devices Limited, Toronto,

Ontario, Canada [22] Filed: Feb. 8, 1972 [21] Appl. No. 224,516

t mulljm Stockwell ..240/3 Langer ..240/3 Primary ExaminerRichard L.Moses Attorney-Roy Harold Saffrey [57] ABSTRACT A modular luminaireassembly consisting of a longitudinal beam member, preferably generallyU-shaped, and a plurality of lamp housings of a predetermined modularlength mounted on and projecting outwardly from at least one side of thebeam member. Lamp mounting means is located in each of the lamp housingsand the beam has a length which is substantially equal to a whole numbermultiple of the modular length of the luminaire. Preferably the U-shapedbeam member is in the form of an extrusion having a plurality oflongitudinally extending mounting slots formed therein to provide ameans for supporting the lamp housing and a means for mounting the beamon a suitable support,

15 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEU JUN 5 73 SHEET 1 OF 3 MODULARLUMINAIRE This invention relates to modular luminaire assemblies Inparticular, this invention relates to an improved modular luminaireassembly including a support beam which is adapted to support aplurality of lamp housmgs.

PRIOR ART The luminaires which are presently available and which employmore than one lamp are generally custom-made to suit a particularinstallation and they are not readily adaptable to differentrequirements.

The modular luminaire assembly of the present invention is readilyadaptable to provide a unit which includes a plurality of lamp housingsby simply increasing the length of the support beam on which thehousings are mounted by multiples of the unit length of the housmg.

SUMMARY According to an embodiment of the present invention, a modularlumanaire assembly comprises a longitudinally extending beam member anda plurality of lamp housings of a predetermined modular length mountedon and projecting outwardlyfrom at least one side of the beam. Lampmounting means is located in each of the housings and the beam has alength which is substantially equal to a whole number multiple of themodular length of the luminaire.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, a modularlumainaire assembly includes a longitudinally extending U-shapedextruded beam member and a plurality of lamp housings mounted on andprojecting laterally from at least one side face of the beam member andlamp mounting means projecting into each of said housings.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The invention will be more clearly understood withreference to the following detailed specification read in conjunctionwith the drawings, wherein FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of a partiallyassembled modular luminaire;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the support beam of theluminaire;

FIG. 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partially sectioned view of the underside of an assembledmodular luminaire according to an embodiment of the present invention;and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detailed view of the portion identified as FIG. 5in FIG. 4.

With reference to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the reference numeral refersgenerally to a modular luminaire assembly according to an embodiment ofthe present invention. The assembly includes a plurality of lamphousings 12, a longitudinally extending support beam 14 and a pair ofvertical support pillars 16. As shown in FIG. 1 ofthe drawings, each ofthe lamp housings 12 consists ofa canopy l8 and a bowl 20. The bowl isopen at its upper end and provided with four V- shaped spring clips 22which are adapted to fit within slots 24 formed in the lip 26 whichextends about the open lower end of the canopy 18 as shown in FIG. 3.The inner wall 28 of the canopy is formed from an outer panel 28a whichis an extension of the upper wall and an inner panel 28b which is anextension of the lower wall. A passageway 30 is formed in the wall 28and extends therethrough to provide access for a lamp mounting socket tothe enclosure of the canopy.

An important feature of the present invention is the fact that each ofthe lamp housings may have the same modular length and the support beam14 may have a length which is an exact number multiple of the modularlength of the housings so that the total length of the support beam willbe substantially equal to the total length of the number of modularunits to be mounted thereon.

The structure of the support beam 14 is shown in enlarged detail in FIG.2. The beam 14 is substantially U- shaped in section and includes a pairof oppositely disposed side wall members 32 and a transverse top wall34. The side walls 32 are formed with two parallel ridge portions 36,each of which are formed with T-shaped slots 38 which are parallel toone another and which extend longitudinally of the side walls 36. Theportion of the wall identified by the reference numeral 40 which extendsbetween the ridges 36 is inwardly and downwardly inclined. A pair ofshoulders 42 are located at the intersections of the transverse wall andeach side wall and each shoulder 42 is formed with a T-shaped slot 44which extends parallel to one another and longitudinally of the beam 14.Flanges 46 and 48 project inwardly from the inner face of the side walls32adjacent the free end thereof. The flanges 46 and 48 extendlongitudinally of the side walls in a spaced parallel relationship. Aridge 50 projects outwardly from the outer face of each of the sidewalls 32 and extends longitudinally thereof adjacent to and in spacedparallel relationship to the free edges of the side walls 32. It will benoted that the cross-section illustrated and described above may bemanufactured by an extrusion process and preferably the beam 14 isformed from extruded aluminum or the like so that it may be cut intolengths corresponding to an exact number multiple of the modular lengthof the housing assemblies which are to be mounted thereon in use.

The manner in which the lamp housings are mounted on the support beam isillustrated in FIG. 3 of the drawings. The canopies 18 each have a loweredge portion 52' which rests on the ridge 50. The canopies 18 aresecured to the side walls 32 by means of bolts 54 which are retainablymounted in the T-shaped slots 38' and which pass through the passages 29(FIG. 1) which extend through the wall 28 of the canopy and lock nuts39.

It will be apparent that a modular lamp housing 12 may be locatedatanypoint along the length of the support beam 14 merely by moving thebolts 54 longitudinally of the slots 38. Once the position of themodular housing has been determined, a lamp socket 60 is secured to theangularly inclined portion 40 of the side walls 32 by means of screw 62so as to project into the canopy through the passageway 30. It will benoted that by mounting the socket 60 on the angularly inclined portion40, the socket will be downwardly and inwardly inclined with respect tothe canopy. This arrangement facilitates the mounting of a bulb and itprovides clearance for the bulb within the canopy. The side walls 32 arefurther provided with suitable passages to permit electrical wiring toextend therethrough to form an electrical connection between the socketterminals and the usual lamp ballast.

The beam 14 is supported by a pair of vertical support pillars 16 aspreviously described. The pillars 16 each have flanges 70 which projectfrom opposite side edges. The flanges 46 rest on the pillars l6 andflanges 70. A narrow clamping plate 72 is disposed above the flanges 70and secured to the flanges by bolts 74 so as to clamp the flange 46between the flanges 70 and the I clamping plate 72 to secure the beam 14to the support pillars 16. Again it will'be seen that in view of thefact that the flanges 46 and 48 extend longitudinally of the beam, thesupport pillars 16 may be located at any position along the length ofthe support beam. In use, the lower end of the support beam may beclosed over a substantial portion of its length by inserting a closureplate in the slot formed between the flanges 46 and 48, as will bedescribed hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 of the drawings.The support pillar 16 may also have flanges 71 (FIG. 1) at the lower endthereof for mounting the supports on a suitable base.

With reference to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings, it will be seen thatthe usual ballast required for the operation of a luminaire is generallyidentified by the reference numeral 80 and is located within the channelformed in the U-shaped beam 14. The T-shaped slots 44 cooperate withtransverse support bars 82, bolts 84 and nuts 86 to clamp the variouscomponents of the ballast in a predetermined position relative to thesupport beam. Again, it will be seen that the various elements of theballast 80 may be positioned in any required position along the lengthof the beam by moving the bolts 84 longitudinally within the slots 44.

The lower end of the U-shaped channelis closed by means of closurepanels 90 which fit within the slots formed between the lugs 46 and'48and are held in position by means of lock pin 92.

A feature of the luminaire of the present invention is that the modularlamp housings and the support beam are particularly suitable for use inassociation with mercury vapour lamps 96. By employing a bowl 20 madefrom a light diffusing white acrylic material, it is possible to providea modular luminaire consisting of a plurality of lamps mounted on thesupport beam which is inexpensive to manufacture and simple to maintain.By forming the support beam 14 from extruded aluminum or the like, it ispossible to make the beam of a substantial length and to cut the beam toany required size appropriate to the number of lamp housings which areto be mounted thereon. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the beam 14 may have alength equal to a whole number multiple of the modular length of one ofthe lamp housings. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4,

the beam 14 has a length equal to the length of five 7 Variousmodifications of the present invention will be apparent to those skilledin the art without departing from the scope of the invention, Forexample, while the luminaire illustrated in FIG. 1 is shown as includingtwo; 1

vertical support pillars 16, it will be understood that the beam may besupported by one or more vertical support pillars as required in anyparticular installation or,

alternatively, it may be suspended from a ceiling mounting or the like.

What I claim as my invention is:

'1. A modular luminaire assembly comprising a. a longitudinallyextending beam member,

blfa plurality of lamp housings of a predetermined modular lengthmounted on and projecting outwardly from at least one side of said beam,

c. lamp mounting means located in each of said houslngs,

d. said beam having a length substantially equal to a whole numbermultiple of the modular length of said lamp housing,

e. said beam having at least one longitudinally extending mounting faceformed with a pair of longitudinally extending spaced parallel slots foruse in securing said lamp housing to said beam member.

2. A modular luminaire assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said beamhas a pair of oppositely disposed longitudinally extending mountingfaces, each formed with a pair of longitudinally extending spacedparallel slots for use in securing said lamp housing to said beammember.

3. A modular luminaire assembly as claimed in claim 1 including at leastone lamp housing canopy projecting laterally from opposite sides of saidbeam member.

4. A modular luminaire assembly as claimed in claim 1 including aplurality of lamp housings projecting laterally from opposite sides ofsaid beam member.

5. A modular luminaire assembly comprising a. a longitudinally extendingU-shaped extruded beam member having a pair of oppositely disposed sidewalls and a transverse wall extending therebetween, said side andtransverse walls having inner and outer faces,

b. lamp mounting means projecting laterally from at least one of saidside faces of said beam,

c. lamp housing mounting means formed in said outer surface of said beamto mount said housing means thereon,

d. lamp mounting means projecting into said housing means to provide asupport for a lamp in each housing.

6. A modular luminaire assembly as claimed in claim 5 including ballastmounting means formed on the inner face of said transverse wall wherebylamp ballast may be mounted within the channel formed in the U- shapedbeam.

7. A modular luminaire assembly as claimed in claim 6 including flangemeans mounted adjacent the free ends of said side walls and adapted toprovide a support for mounting said U-shaped beam member in a positionwith the channel formed therein opening downwardly.

8. A modular luminaire assembly as claimed in claim 5 wherein said lamphousing mounting means is formed in said outer faces of said side wallsand consists of at least two longitudinally extending T-shaped channels.

9. A modular luminaire assembly as claimed in claim 6 wherein the innerface of said transverse wall is formed to provide two parallel T-shapedchannel recesses extending longitudinally thereof.

I0.- A modular luminaire assembly as claimed in claim 5 wherein theouter surface of each side wall is formed to provide a longitudinallyextending surface which is inwardly and downwardly inclined with respectto said transverse wall to form an angularly disposed support surfaceadapted to abut the end of said lamp support means to retain the lampsupport means in an angularly inclined plane with respect to saidtransverse wall.

11. A modular luminaire assembly as claimed in claim 5 wherein the outerface of each side wall is formed to provide a pair of spaced parallelridges which extend longitudinally thereof, and a portion of said outerface disposed between said ridges is angularly inclined in a directiondownwardly and inwardly with respect to said transverse wall to providea pair of angularly disposed support surfaces for a lamp in use.

12. A modular luminaire assembly as claimed in claim 5 wherein each ofsaid side walls is formed to provide a first and a second flangeprojecting inwardly from the inner face thereof, said first flange beingspaced from the free edge of the side wall to cooperate with the portionof the side wall disposed between the first flange and the free edge toform a ledge for supporting said beam, said second flange being disposedin a spaced parallel relationship with respect to said first flange toform a channel extending longitudinally of each arm.

13. A modular luminaire assembly as claimed in claim 5 wherein each ofsaid housings includes a canopy and a bowl, each of said canopiescomprising a substantially rectangular enclosure having a pair ofoppositely disposed side walls, a front wall and a back wall, eachhaving an upper end and a lower end, a top wall extending between theupper ends of said walls and closing the upper ends of the enclosure,and a flange projecting inwardly from said lower ends to define the openlower end of the enclosure, said lamp mounting means consisting of amounting panel disposed in an overlying relationship with respect tosaid back wall.

14. A modular luminaire assembly as claimed in claim 13 furtherincluding lamp socket means mounted on said angularly inclined portionof said outer face of said side wall of said beam and projecting intosaid canopy.

15. A modular luminaire assembly comprising,

a. an extruded beam member which has an inverted U-shaped cross-sectionforming a channel housing, an upper transverse wall and a pair ofdownwardly directed side "walls, each of said walls having an inner faceand an outer face, each side wall having an upper edge integrallyconnected to said transverse wall and a downwardly directed free edge,

b. flange means formed adjacent said free edge of said side walls formounting said beam in an operative position,

c. at least one vertical support pillar adapted to be secured to saidbeam by means of said flange means to dispose said beam in a generallyhorizontal plane,

d. longitudinally extending recess means formed on each outer face ofsaid channel,

e. a plurality of lamp canopies each having an inner wall, an outerwall, a pair of side walls and a top wall,

f. canopy mounting means engaging said recesses of said side walls ofsaid beam and said inner wall of said canopies to locate said canopiesin a position projecting laterally from said side walls of said beam,

g. longitudinally extending recess means formed on the inner surface ofsaid beam,

h. lamp ballast means located in said channel of said beam and mountingmeans operably engaging said recess means of said inner surface of saidbeam to retain said ballast means thereon,

i. a plurality of bowl members each having a peripheral edge adapted tofit in a close fitting relationship within the open end of a canopy, and

j. a lamp mounting socket mounted on said inner surface of said sidewalls of said beam and projecting into each canopy.

1. A modular luminaire assembly comprising a. a longitudinally extendingbeam member, b. a plurality of lamp housings of a predetermined modularlength mounted on and projecting outwardly from at least one side ofsaid beam, c. lamp mounting means located in each of said housings, d.said beam having a length substantially equal to a whole number multipleof the modular length of said lamp housing, e. said beam having at leastone longitudinally extending mounting face formed with a pair oflongitudinally extending spaced parallel slots for use in securing saidlamp housing to said beam member.
 2. A modular luminaire assembly asclaimed in claim 1 wherein said beam has a paIr of oppositely disposedlongitudinally extending mounting faces, each formed with a pair oflongitudinally extending spaced parallel slots for use in securing saidlamp housing to said beam member.
 3. A modular luminaire assembly asclaimed in claim 1 including at least one lamp housing canopy projectinglaterally from opposite sides of said beam member.
 4. A modularluminaire assembly as claimed in claim 1 including a plurality of lamphousings projecting laterally from opposite sides of said beam member.5. A modular luminaire assembly comprising a. a longitudinally extendingU-shaped extruded beam member having a pair of oppositely disposed sidewalls and a transverse wall extending therebetween, said side andtransverse walls having inner and outer faces, b. lamp mounting meansprojecting laterally from at least one of said side faces of said beam,c. lamp housing mounting means formed in said outer surface of said beamto mount said housing means thereon, d. lamp mounting means projectinginto said housing means to provide a support for a lamp in each housing.6. A modular luminaire assembly as claimed in claim 5 including ballastmounting means formed on the inner face of said transverse wall wherebylamp ballast may be mounted within the channel formed in the U-shapedbeam.
 7. A modular luminaire assembly as claimed in claim 6 includingflange means mounted adjacent the free ends of said side walls andadapted to provide a support for mounting said U-shaped beam member in aposition with the channel formed therein opening downwardly.
 8. Amodular luminaire assembly as claimed in claim 5 wherein said lamphousing mounting means is formed in said outer faces of said side wallsand consists of at least two longitudinally extending T-shaped channels.9. A modular luminaire assembly as claimed in claim 6 wherein the innerface of said transverse wall is formed to provide two parallel T-shapedchannel recesses extending longitudinally thereof.
 10. A modularluminaire assembly as claimed in claim 5 wherein the outer surface ofeach side wall is formed to provide a longitudinally extending surfacewhich is inwardly and downwardly inclined with respect to saidtransverse wall to form an angularly disposed support surface adapted toabut the end of said lamp support means to retain the lamp support meansin an angularly inclined plane with respect to said transverse wall. 11.A modular luminaire assembly as claimed in claim 5 wherein the outerface of each side wall is formed to provide a pair of spaced parallelridges which extend longitudinally thereof, and a portion of said outerface disposed between said ridges is angularly inclined in a directiondownwardly and inwardly with respect to said transverse wall to providea pair of angularly disposed support surfaces for a lamp in use.
 12. Amodular luminaire assembly as claimed in claim 5 wherein each of saidside walls is formed to provide a first and a second flange projectinginwardly from the inner face thereof, said first flange being spacedfrom the free edge of the side wall to cooperate with the portion of theside wall disposed between the first flange and the free edge to form aledge for supporting said beam, said second flange being disposed in aspaced parallel relationship with respect to said first flange to form achannel extending longitudinally of each arm.
 13. A modular luminaireassembly as claimed in claim 5 wherein each of said housings includes acanopy and a bowl, each of said canopies comprising a substantiallyrectangular enclosure having a pair of oppositely disposed side walls, afront wall and a back wall, each having an upper end and a lower end, atop wall extending between the upper ends of said walls and closing theupper ends of the enclosure, and a flange projecting inwardly from saidlower ends to define the open lower end of the enclosure, said lampmounting means consisting of a mounting panel disposed in an overlyingrelationship wIth respect to said back wall.
 14. A modular luminaireassembly as claimed in claim 13 further including lamp socket meansmounted on said angularly inclined portion of said outer face of saidside wall of said beam and projecting into said canopy.
 15. A modularluminaire assembly comprising, a. an extruded beam member which has aninverted U-shaped cross-section forming a channel housing, an uppertransverse wall and a pair of downwardly directed side walls, each ofsaid walls having an inner face and an outer face, each side wall havingan upper edge integrally connected to said transverse wall and adownwardly directed free edge, b. flange means formed adjacent said freeedge of said side walls for mounting said beam in an operative position,c. at least one vertical support pillar adapted to be secured to saidbeam by means of said flange means to dispose said beam in a generallyhorizontal plane, d. longitudinally extending recess means formed oneach outer face of said channel, e. a plurality of lamp canopies eachhaving an inner wall, an outer wall, a pair of side walls and a topwall, f. canopy mounting means engaging said recesses of said side wallsof said beam and said inner wall of said canopies to locate saidcanopies in a position projecting laterally from said side walls of saidbeam, g. longitudinally extending recess means formed on the innersurface of said beam, h. lamp ballast means located in said channel ofsaid beam and mounting means operably engaging said recess means of saidinner surface of said beam to retain said ballast means thereon, i. aplurality of bowl members each having a peripheral edge adapted to fitin a close fitting relationship within the open end of a canopy, and j.a lamp mounting socket mounted on said inner surface of said side wallsof said beam and projecting into each canopy.